– How to Improve the Quality of your Sleep

It goes without saying that sleep is vital for the human body. Even though we may not always pay much attention to it, our physical and mental health are greatly impacted by our sleeping habits. To instil these healthy habits into your daily routine puts you on the right path to having, what is known as, good sleep hygiene, which we will explain in more detail later.

There are those of us who, within minutes of resting the head on a pillow, are in a deep sleep, and there are those that find “switching off” at night difficult, and all those in-between as well.

Whichever kind of sleeper you are, you’ll know that it is negatively affected by factors around us. A common woe is noisy neighbours, or being too hot at night. Disturbances and uncomfortable environments can make it difficult to fall or even go back to sleep, leading to tiredness and irritability the next day.

In this article, you will share the habits and practices that will reduce potential disturbances and improve your slumber.

Importance of Sleep and Sleep Quality

You may have heard the recommendation of getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night, but what we usually overlook is that quality is as important as quantity. Sleep quality differs from person to person, but what experts agree on is that you should feel rested and energized after waking up from a decent night’s rest.

If you find yourself feeling drowsy during the day or having to rely too much on caffeine to stay focused, you may want to check your sleep hygiene to enhance your sleep quality. Sleep hygiene refers to practices, the environment and habits that help us get a good night's rest. The signs of insufficient or unsatisfactory sleep can be any or a combination of the following:

• Tiredness throughout the day, even if you haven’t done any physically exhausting tasks
• Drowsiness at varying times that hinders productivity or other daily tasks
• Mood swings, irritability and low tolerance to stress

It is normal to have a bad night every once in a while, but if you often experience the signs mentioned above, it could be related to your sleep and it may be time to take some steps to resolve these issues. There are two elements to look into: sleep habits and sleep environmental factors. We will mainly focus on the latter, but you will find some general tips for better sleep habits too.

Factors affecting the sleeping environment

Our surroundings play an important role in our sleep quality. When you imagine the ideal bedroom to fall asleep in, what comes into your mind? Chances are, you are already aware of the best possible conditions, but due to busy schedules and routines, you don’t apply them in your own life. Let’s go over a list of the factors that can affect our sleeping environment:

• The bedroom itself. Let’s start with the basics: is your bedroom furnished to make your sleep routine easier? We are talking about things like the condition of your bed and bedding, clutter and spaciousness, obstacles for when you get into bed… Clutter can generate stress, so keeping your bedroom organized and clean will ease your mind, allowing you to better relax. It’s important that your bedroom feels comfortable for you.

It is also wise to keep your bed and bedding in optimal conditions. Did you know that it is recommended to rotate your mattress every few months to keep it from deforming? An uncomfortable mattress not only gives you back and muscle pain, but it will also get in the way of quality sleep. Change the bedding regularly. Clean sheets and pillow covers make getting into bed that extra bit more rewarding. Certain scents, such as lavender and peppermint essential oils, also have natural calming properties and are used in aromatherapy to treat insomnia.

• Noise. It’s no surprise that loud noises can wake us up; however, we also have to watch out for noise sources that may be more subtle, such as traffic from the street or buzzing appliances. The quieter the bedroom, the better, and according to the World Health Organization’s guidelines for European regions, mild adverse effects on sleep start to appear from 30 dB of noise level. It is recommended to keep noise levels below 40 dB in the bedroom as one of the key steps to a good night’s sleep.

Reducing noise can be tricky if it is coming from traffic outside. Close the windows whenever possible if noise is a common complaint, or try to move your bed away from the windows. An alternative for blocking street sounds out is using ear plugs. Also, you may find it helpful to switch off any appliances or devices that may disturb your sleep. If using fans or air conditioners, set them up with a timer to automatically turn off or lower their power after a few hours.

• Lighting. Our bodies’ natural circadian rhythm relies heavily on light, both natural and artificial. During daytime, our brains are signalled by daylight to produce hormones that make us feel energized. The opposite happens during nighttime, with a peak of melatonin production, the hormone that helps us relax and get into the mood for sleep. This means that the more light we are exposed to, the more awake we will feel.

For this reason, the light should be limited in the hours leading to bedtime. If outdoor light still manages to creep into your room at bedtime, consider blackout curtains. Keep your lights dim after sunset and a few hours before you get to bed. Our brains react not only to sunlight or light from bulbs but also to blue light from devices and screens. Limiting your exposure to blue light from TV screens and mobile devices right before bed can benefit your night's sleep.

• Temperature. Have you noticed that it is more difficult to sleep during summer than during winter? Our bodies naturally drop their temperature in preparation for sleep, which is another signal for our brains to go into relaxation mode. Warmer temperatures keep us more alert, so a warm bedroom will hinder our ability to fall asleep. As our bodies thermoregulate themselves, sudden temperature changes can throw our natural cycles off while we are asleep, disturbing our sleep phases. Extreme temperature changes can even affect our cardiovascular health.

According to experts, the ideal temperature for sleeping is 18ºC (65ºF); this of course will differ by a few degrees for each person, but sleeping in a room below 20ºC is recommended. The key to temperature is finding what works best for you, and making sure that it stays relatively stable throughout the night. Just like your body’s, temperatures naturally drop at night and rise after sunrise, so keeping the temperature in your bedroom slightly lower at night can help you enhance sleep quality. Cozy up with blankets during winter months, turning the heating off a few hours before night. And during the warmer months, cool your home off through natural ventilation, fans or air conditioning.

• Indoor air quality (IAQ). We highlighted the importance of IAQ because it is such a crucial element in near aspects of life. The air we breathe is essential, and breathing healthy air keeps us healthier, overall, even while we are asleep. The quality of our home’s air can be negatively impacted in many ways, from excess humidity that can result in mold or mildew to air pollutants like VOCs and dust. These can cause allergies and respiratory sensitivities to flare that disturb our sleep. Learn what factors influence IAQ, how it affects us, and how to improve IAQ in different ways, such as through natural ventilation, in this article.

Get Sleep Ready with a Night Routine

The hours leading to bedtime are more important than we think. Check that the habits you have before going to bed are not setting you back from a restful sleep. One of the key habits is to form a night routine that cues you into relaxing and eventually to bed. Everyone has different daily routines, so you may want to establish one according to your work schedule and responsibilities. The major takeaways are: 

• Limiting caffeine intake in the evening. Drinking coffee is a must for many during the day, but as the work day starts to come to a close, it’s best to avoid it. Caffeine works by blocking the receptor that cues our brain to feel sleepy. This can be beneficial for productivity and alertness in the morning, but since the effects of caffeine can remain for 4-6 hours after intake, it can interfere with sleep if taken later in the day.
• Separating work from rest. Do you work from home or have a home office setup? Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic arose and remote work has become more normalized, workers are finding it harder to disconnect from work. The key is to set clear boundaries between work and rest, both with your time and your space. Make sure your working area is separate from your sleeping area. Ideally, your home office should be outside your bedroom; but if this is not possible, find ways to free the space from work-related objects, by tidying up and putting them away ready for the next day. For more home office tips, read our article on creating the ideal work-from-home environment. If you go into your place of work, then try your best not to bring working hours into the home with you.
• Winding down from work. Just as it is important to separate work from leisure time, keeping the stress of work from getting in the way of your rest is essential. According to research, deliberately taking time to wind down after work can help recover from work-related stress, and improve energy the next morning. Enjoying relaxing activities, such as going for a walk, listening to podcasts or music, meditating or doing yoga contributes to reducing work-related anxiety, and thus enhances our ability to rest at night without worries. Find what type of activity works for you, and incorporate it into your evening routine to consistently benefit from it.
• Setting a fixed schedule for going to bed and getting up. Establishing a routine helps our bodies to “know” what to expect throughout the day. By practising this routine consistently, we make our bodies get accustomed to sleeping in the scheduled rest time.

Hitachi Residential Air Conditioners to Create the Ideal Environment for Sleeping

As you have seen, the environment we sleep in plays an essential role in improving how well we rest, with air quality and temperature playing a major part. That’s the joy of air conditioners, that they provide users with the features and functionalities that make keeping comfortable at night simple, efficient and that can help ensure healthier air.

Among the ranges of Hitachi Residential Air Conditioners, you will find the new airHome range, which integrates state-of-the-art air conditioning technology to fulfil all your healthy air and temperature needs. The airHome 400 model features key characteristics that check many of the boxes for optimal sleep quality: precise temperature control, air-purifying features for better IAQ and odor elimination… For example, its SleepSense function uses smart technology to automatically detect when the room occupants are sleeping, adjusting to the ideal temperature to prevent the room from getting too cold, contributing to a more comfortable sleep without disturbances.

The airHome Range and airHome 400 are just a taste of the products with the Hitachi Residential Air Conditioner range.

Learn more about the airHome Range and all its features here.